Nick Cannon, right, kisses Mariah Carey's hand at the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008. [Matt Sayles/AP Photo]

Brown eclipsed Alicia Keys, who topped the list of nominations with five. Keys ended up with a pair of statuettes. She was considered the favourite for artist of the year, the final award presented at the ceremony.

19-year-old Chris Brown was also named favourite male artist in both the soul/R&B and pop/rock categories. His girlfriend, Rihanna, took the same awards in the female artist categories.

Keys' awards were for her chart-topping

disc, 'As I Am,' named favourite album in the soul/R&B and pop/rock categories.

Other multiple winners included outspoken rapper Kanye West. His two trophies were the first American Music Awards of his career.

He won for the statuette for favourite rap/hip-hop album with "Graduation." West challenged musicians of all genres to push each other, and to recapture the spirit of artists like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.